Quick answer: A Windsor–Detroit truck crossing has two costs, and they are easy to confuse. The toll is what you pay to use the bridge — about $43.75 USD (or $34.50 on Breakaway) for a five-axle truck on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, roughly $75 USD on the Ambassador Bridge. The eManifest is what you must file before you arrive — a CBP ACE manifest into the US, a CBSA ACI manifest into Canada. Skip the toll math and a load costs a little more; skip the eManifest and the truck doesn't cross.
Price the toll side with the Gordie Howe Bridge toll calculator; this article covers the compliance side.
The two-part cost of a crossing
| Component | What it is | Who charges it | When it's due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toll | Fee to use the bridge | Bridge operator (Gordie Howe / Ambassador) | At the crossing |
| eManifest | Advance electronic cargo manifest | CBP (ACE) / CBSA (ACI) | Before arrival |
The toll is a predictable line item you can put on a rate card — see the Gordie Howe toll guide for the full per-axle schedule. The eManifest is a regulatory gate: no accepted manifest, no entry.
Entering the United States: CBP ACE
A truck crossing from Windsor into Detroit is entering the United States, so it files a CBP ACE eManifest. The manifest identifies the carrier, driver, conveyance, equipment, and every shipment on board, and it must be transmitted and accepted before the truck reaches the border — the standard lead time is at least one hour before arrival for truck cargo. Arriving without an accepted ACE manifest means the truck is turned back or held, and repeated failures invite penalties.
Entering Canada: CBSA ACI
A truck crossing from Detroit into Windsor is entering Canada, so it files a CBSA ACI eManifest — the Canadian equivalent under the Advance Commercial Information program. Same principle: the carrier transmits conveyance, cargo and, where applicable, crew data in advance, and CBSA must accept it before arrival. Getting an ACI acceptance (and, in Canada, avoiding AMPS penalties for late or missing data) is the difference between a green light and a secondary inspection.
The bridge doesn't change the filing
A point worth repeating because it saves drivers a bad afternoon at the booth: which bridge you use does not change your eManifest obligation. The Gordie Howe International Bridge and the Ambassador Bridge land in the same two countries. What determines your filing is the direction — ACE into the US, ACI into Canada — not the pavement. Switching to Gordie Howe for the cheaper toll changes your cost, not your compliance.
Planning the true cost per load
For a Windsor–Detroit round trip, the all-in crossing cost a dispatcher should quote is:
- Outbound toll (e.g. Gordie Howe Breakaway, ~$34.50 USD for a 5-axle),
- Return toll (the crossing back), and
- eManifest handling — either your filing software/time or a service fee if a broker files for you.
Build all three into the lane before you accept it. TruckerPro rolls the toll side into route-level load costing automatically, and BorderPro handles the ACE and ACI eManifest filing for these exact crossings — so the compliance step is a workflow, not a scramble at the on-ramp.
Toll figures reflect the Gordie Howe International Bridge published 2026 schedule and are subject to change. eManifest requirements are set by CBP (ACE) and CBSA (ACI); confirm current lead times and data requirements with the respective agency.